<\/p>\n
Bianca Parker stood outside Memorial Hospital in the crisp December evening. Glancing at her watch, she saw it was 6:54; her shift started at seven. Taking in a deep breath of cold air, she turned and strode through the automatic doors hoping for a relatively calm night. This week was her week to work the night shift, and while she didn\u2019t really have a problem working nights, she preferred the day shifts because it normally seemed more interesting.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey Joey,\u201d Bianca greeted as she walked past the Admit desk heading for the staff lounge.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey Doc,\u201d he grinned widely from behind the desk.<\/p>\n
Entering the staff lounge, she strode over to her locker and quickly traded her thick jacket for a white lab coat. As she was draping her stethoscope around her neck the door to the lounge opened and she turned to see med student Isabel Rivera. \u201cHey,\u201d Bianca greeted her with a smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi,\u201d Isabel returned the smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, well, tell me I\u2019m not dreaming,\u201d a loud voice startled both the women. \u201cDo I actually have the privilege of working with Dr. Bianca Parker tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n
Bianca groaned inwardly when she turned and saw JC Chasez standing in the doorway, his arms spread wide. \u201cDr. Chasez,\u201d Bianca replied coolly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, Bianca, you know that colleagues should be on a first name basis,\u201d his voice carried an arrogant tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ll excuse me, Dr. Chasez<\/em>, I have to get to work now. My shift started five minutes ago,\u201d she curtly replied and marched past JC and into the ER.<\/p>\n Brian Littrell looked at the clock and then across the table at his girlfriend, Ivory. \u201cWell, Ives,\u201d he said, \u201cit\u2019s getting to be that time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2026\u201d Ivory said slowly, checking the clock herself. \u201cYou better go, or you\u2019re gonna be late.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d said Brian, scooting back his chair and standing up. \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t really matter, I guess. I can afford to be late once in a while. They\u2019re more lenient about that stuff on the night shift anyway.\u201d He retrieved his jacket from the stand in the corner and pulled it on.<\/p>\n \u201cTrue,\u201d said Ivory and smiled. \u201cGuess that\u2019s the one good thing about being suspended \u2013 no all-nighters in the ER.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian made a face. \u201cI still can\u2019t believe Brunson suspended you for two weeks<\/em>. All that for hitting some kid\u2019s dad?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA dad who beat his little girl,\u201d Ivory added.<\/p>\n \u201cExactly. If you ask me, the guy had it coming to him. You\u2019re a doctor \u2013 you were just giving him a little taste of his own medicine,\u201d Brian said with a grin.<\/p>\n Ivory giggled. \u201cGood one. I would have tried telling Brunson that, but somehow I don\u2019t think she would have laughed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, you know she\u2019s lacking in that thing called a sense of humor<\/em>,\u201d Brian enunciated, rolling his eyes. \u201cOh well, you\u2019ll be back on Monday, and this whole thing will have blown over.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m not concerned. Being suspended wasn\u2019t exactly a joy, but hey, it was kinda nice to get a little break.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a good way of looking at it,\u201d Brian replied with a smile. \u201cWell, I really do gotta get going now. Thanks for dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy pleasure,\u201d Ivory smiled back. \u201cSee you tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor sure. I\u2019ll be sleeping in, but I\u2019ll call ya when I get up, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivory nodded. \u201cSounds good. Have a good shift.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Brian said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. \u201cAnd you have a good night.\u201d<\/p>\n Across town, Justin Timberlake was saying goodbye to his own girlfriend, Britney. But he was not having a good night, and he was on his way to what he was sure would not be a good night shift. No night shift was good, in his opinion, and Britney couldn\u2019t have agreed more.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I never get to spend time with you when you work the all-night shifts!\u201d she protested. \u201cIf I work days, and you work nights, we never see each other!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBrit, I told you,\u201d Justin said for the hundredth time through clenched teeth, \u201cI have no control over when I work. When I\u2019m a resident, I\u2019ll have a little more control over my schedule, but I still have another year of med school and an internship to get through until then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what are you saying? Deal with it?\u201d Britney spat. \u201cWell what if I don\u2019t wanna deal with it? Maybe I\u2019ll just find a new guy who actually wants to spend time with me!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBrit, please!\u201d pleaded Justin. \u201cYou know I want<\/em> to spend time with you! I just can\u2019t all the time\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, then maybe I\u2019ll find someone who can<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin sighed loudly and turned away from her, closing his eyes briefly to calm himself down, keep him from saying something he would regret. After a moment, he looked back at her and said softly, \u201cI love you, Brit.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t say anything; she was pouting again. He shook his head, and, surrendering to her silent treatment, left without another word.<\/p>\n As Justin drove to Memorial, his mind was on anything but the road in front of him. He was worried about his relationship with Britney. He knew she wasn\u2019t serious; she was just pouting. But she complained constantly and said things like this all the time lately, and it was beginning to make him nervous. What if someday she was<\/em> serious? Would she leave him just because of his career choice?<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe it\u2019s not the right career choice for me,\u201d he muttered, not even considering the possibility that maybe Britney wasn\u2019t the right choice of girlfriends. Maybe he just wasn\u2019t cut out to be a doctor. His ER rotation had not gone as well as he had hoped so far. In the three months he\u2019d been there, he\u2019d been reamed out right and left by more than one of his superiors, embarrassed in front of his colleagues, forced to do procedures on dead bodies, beat up by a patient and her boyfriend, and sexually harassed by the desk clerk. As far as his actual practice went, he knew his clinical skills needed improvement, his bedside manner could use work, and he\u2019d already lost patients.<\/p>\n He had sailed right through the first two years of medical school, but this semester had taken the wind out of his sails and snatched his confidence with it. Maybe he was trying to get into the wrong profession. Maybe he was only kidding himself, trying to be some bigshot doctor.<\/p>\n The sign to Atlantic City Memorial Hospital loomed ahead of him, and his stomach clenched. Another night, another shift, another chance for all kinds of bad things to happen to him.<\/p>\n Please<\/em>, he thought, please just let me get through this shift without taking an ice skate to the face\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n Howie Dorough silenced the shrill ring of his cell phone as he crept to a stop at a red light. \u201cHello?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHowie?\u201d his longtime girlfriend, Rita Sumari asked, sounding quite confused.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah babe?\u201d he balanced the cell phone between his ear and shoulder as he accelerated through the light.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you? I thought we were having dinner tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2026 didn\u2019t you get my message today? Josh asked me to trade shifts with him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh\u2026\u201d Rita said, sounding a little disappointed. Chuckling slightly she added, \u201cI guess I need to check my messages more often, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat would help,\u201d he teased gently.<\/p>\n \u201cBut,\u201d she tried to sound forceful, \u201cYou could make more of an effort to let me know these things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, okay\u2026 you win,\u201d Howie relented with an exaggerated sigh. Wheeling his vehicle into the station parking lot and into a vacant space, he cut the engine and sat there for a minute. \u201cWell, babe, I\u2019ve gotta let you go. Duty calls.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, hun,\u201d she said sweetly.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry dinner was canceled. Rain check?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely. Have a good night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll try,\u201d he smiled to himself. \u201cI\u2019ll call you later if I get a free minute.\u201d<\/p>\n Ending the call, Howie climbed out of his car and headed inside. He nodded a greeting to everyone in the room and went to put his things away. As soon as he had put his stuff down, a call for his squad came over the radio. \u201cI guess it\u2019s gonna be a wild night,\u201d Howie said to himself as he hopped into the ambulance.<\/p>\n The slender, skillful fingers of neurosurgeon Risha Veers expertly fit a tiny silver key into the lock of her bottom desk drawer. Turning the key once, she gave the handle a pull, and the heavy metal drawer came rattling open. She slid off her stethoscope and folded it once, placing it carefully on top of the neat stack of papers that sat in the bottom of the drawer. Pulling her long, dark red hair out of its ponytail, she dropped her hair tie in with the stethoscope and closed the drawer. Running a hand through her hair, she took the key out of its lock and set it just behind a small, framed picture that sat on her desk, hiding it from view. She stopped to study the picture for a moment, her delicate facial features tightening as she frowned. She was sure it made a sharp contrast to the smile on the glowing face of one of the people in the photograph. The woman looked so happy that it was hard to believe she was an eleven-year-younger version of Risha herself.<\/p>\n But I was that happy back then<\/em>, Risha thought, her eyes shifting to the face pressed up against her own, cheek-to-cheek. Her face had aged over a decade since this picture had been taken, but his never would. In her mind\u2019s eye, he would always look the same as he did here, forever a young man, his looks immortal. She gazed, captivated, into his eyes, feeling as if he were staring right back at her, and felt her throat close up. His face began to blur as tears swam in her eyes, and she blinked, forcing herself to look away.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t do this to yourself. Not now, not here.<\/em><\/p>\n It was probably a mistake to even have the picture sitting there, but she could not help herself. She had to remember; she couldn\u2019t forget. She couldn\u2019t let go.<\/p>\n But for now, she would have to. Refusing to let herself look back at the photograph, she stood up from her desk and pushed in her chair. Slowly, she crossed the small office to the wooden coat rack that stood in the corner and lifted her winter coat from its hook, swapping it with her white lab coat. She pulled on the long, gray, woolen coat, ready to brave the night\u2019s December chill, fetched her purse from behind her desk, and walked out of her office, shutting off the light and closing the door behind her. Just as she was locking the door, she heard a deep, drawling voice say, \u201c\u2019Evening, Risha.\u201d<\/p>\n Startled, she turned to find Kevin Richardson standing there, a smile gracing his handsome face. She returned the smile and replied, \u201cHello. Are you just coming on?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYep, got stuck with the night shift tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShame,\u201d said Risha. \u201cWell, I hope your shift goes well then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Kevin replied. \u201cSo are you taking off? Heading home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she said, hitching the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder.<\/p>\n He nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll let you go then. Have a good night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou too,\u201d smiled Risha, and they walked in opposite directions.<\/p>\n Risha had just reached the stairs when the door to the stairwell burst open, and Chris Kirkpatrick trotted out, nearly plowing her down.<\/p>\n \u201cRisha!\u201d he exclaimed breathlessly. \u201cJust the lady I was looking for! I was hoping I hadn\u2019t missed you.\u201d<\/p>\n Inwardly, Risha groaned, but she pasted what she hoped was a pleasant smile on her face and replied, \u201cReally? I\u2019m just getting off\u2026 Did you need a consult?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? No. No, I knew you were getting off now; I was just hoping I would catch you before you left. I\u2019m working a double shift tonight, but I\u2019m taking my dinner break now, and I was hoping you\u2019d join me.\u201d<\/p>\n How convenient for you to take your break at 7:30, right when I get off<\/em>, Risha thought, but of course she did not say that. Instead, she replied, \u201cSure,\u201d afraid that any excuse she tried to come up with on the spot would sound lame. As much as she didn\u2019t want to go out to dinner with him, she didn\u2019t want to hurt his feelings either. So she reluctantly let him hook his arm through hers and escort her down the stairs to the ground level of the hospital.<\/p>\n Risha sighed to herself and stared out the window to avoid the sight of Chris trying to shove a massive burrito oozing with beans, beef, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole into his mouth. Unfortunately, all she could see in the window was a reflection of everything in the fast food restaurant, and she caught the whole unappetizing sight anyway.<\/p>\n Who takes a woman out to Taco Bell for dinner?<\/em> she wondered as she looked down at her small taco salad, which she\u2019d only picked at while Chris shoveled his food in between bad jokes and lame attempts at conversation. She just wanted him to take her back to the hospital so she could get her car and go home.<\/p>\n \u201cYo quiero<\/em> Taco Bell,\u201d Chris randomly said in a bad Spanish accent. It was at least the fifth time he\u2019d repeated that phrase in the last fifteen minutes, much to Risha\u2019s chagrin. Taking a noisy slurp from his soda, he added, \u201cYou\u2019re quiet tonight, Rish. Got something on your mind?\u201d Before she could even answer that she was fine, he burst out laughing. \u201cHey, no pun intended there. Something on your mind<\/em>\u2026 mind \u2013 brain \u2013 you\u2019re a neurosurgeon\u2026 get it?\u201d<\/p>\n She wasn\u2019t sure the pun hadn\u2019t<\/em> been intended, and either way, it wasn\u2019t funny. She stared at him, straight-faced, and said quietly, \u201cThe mind and the brain are not the same thing. The mind is believed to be a separate entity from the body.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris gaped at her for a few seconds, open-mouthed, a little green bit of guacamole showing between his two front teeth, and then replied, \u201cI-I\u2026 um, sorry. I was just making a joke. I\u2026 never mind.\u201d He went back to his burrito, and Risha smiled discretely down into her salad, satisfied that she had shut him up for the time being.<\/p>\n After a few minutes, she asked, \u201cHave you been up to see Lance Bass lately?\u201d Surely that<\/em> was a subject he could not crack jokes about.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I visited him earlier today,\u201d Chris replied, solemn at last. \u201cHe was conscious, and he can blink his eyes and squeeze hands with his left hand, but he\u2019s still paralyzed on the right side of his body, and he can\u2019t talk, of course. Sometimes he moans though. It\u2019s hard to tell if he\u2019s trying to say something, or if it\u2019s just a reaction to pain or discomfort or whatever.\u201d He sighed. \u201cHe\u2019s got a long road ahead of him, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Risha said, \u201cbut at least he\u2019s alive and out of the woods. Hopefully his recovery will be just as miraculous.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris nodded and held up his giant soda in a sort of toast. \u201cLet\u2019s hope,\u201d he agreed and took another large gulp.<\/p>\n \u201cYou got skills, Doc, you know what I\u2019m sayin\u2019?\u201d said Justin in reverence, darting forward to collect the rebound of the three-pointer Brian had just sunk \u2013 nothing but net.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, I do okay, for a short white guy,\u201d Brian chuckled, guarding Justin carefully as he pivoted, dribbling the basketball in front of him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou play in high school?\u201d Justin asked, attempting a fake to the right. No such luck \u2013 Brian was right on him.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d replied Brian, trying to steal the ball. \u201cGot cut from the team \u2013 too short. I played on a church league, though.\u201d He successfully batted the ball away from the med student and recovered it himself, dribbling it toward the rusty hoop that was mounted just outside the ER entrance, in the ambulance bay. He rose up on his toes and took a shot, pumping his fist in victory as it bounced once on the rim and then fell into the hoop.<\/p>\n \u201cGood shot, Dr. Littrell,\u201d muttered Justin, rebounding again.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d the pediatrician replied.<\/p>\n The two of them had only been on call for half an hour, but already, it seemed the night shift was going to be utterly dull that night. The ER was not busy, and there were no pediatric cases for Brian to tend to yet. Not that he was disappointed \u2013 a night in which no sick or injured children came in would be a good night for anyone. Unlikely though.<\/p>\n Just as that thought passed through Brian\u2019s head, he heard sirens approaching, and a minute later, an ambulance pulled into the bay.<\/p>\n \u201cGuess it\u2019s game over,\u201d Brian said to Justin, moving out of the way so the emergency vehicle could pull in.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah\u2026 you win,\u201d grudgingly replied Justin. Standing side by side, they watched and waited as the ambulance slowed to a stop, and the doors in the back flew open.<\/p>\n Brian dropped the basketball and hurried over to meet his older brother Harry and fellow EMT Kylie McCartney, who had jumped out of the back of the rig and were now unloading a stretcher. \u201cWhat do you guys got?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cPregnant female in her late teens or early twenties. We found her in the bathrooms at the park; her water had broken. Couldn\u2019t tell us how far along she is. I think she\u2019s high on something \u2013 pupils are dilated, heart rate is fast \u2013 110, and BP is high too – 140\/90.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not high,\u201d murmured the young woman on the stretcher.<\/p>\n Brian looked down at her as they wheeled her through the emergency doors. She would have been a pretty girl \u2013 brown hair streaked with blonde, blue eyes, full lips, nice complexion \u2013 but her face looked haggard, her eyes bloodshot. Her ears were pierced all the way up and down, and they were bright red, either from infection from the piercings or the cold.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you tell us your name?\u201d Brian asked, guiding the gurney toward one of the exam rooms.<\/p>\n The girl hesitated, then answered, \u201cAshlynn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Dr. Littrell, Ashlynn. I\u2019m going to take good care of you,\u201d Brian promised. \u201cLet\u2019s move her to the bed on the count of one, two, three.\u201d With the help of Justin and the two paramedics, they transferred Ashlynn from the stretcher to the bed in the center of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, guys,\u201d Brian said to Harry and Kylie as they left, ready to go out on another run. Once they were gone, nurse Addie Burke popped her head through the doorway.<\/p>\n \u201cNeed any help in here?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, please,\u201d answered Brian. \u201cWe have a pregnant woman here, her name is Ashlynn, her water\u2019s already broken. Don\u2019t know her age or how far along her pregnancy is yet. Let\u2019s get her in a gown first. Justin, will you step outside please?\u201d<\/p>\n The medical student blinked in surprise and then obediently backed out of the room, while Brian and Addie set to work helping Ashlynn remove her clothes, a pair of baggy black pants and an oversized t-shirt with the emblem of a music group Brian had never heard of \u2013 he assumed it was some punk rock band or something similar. Beneath the t-shirt, the young woman\u2019s body was thin and bony, except for her rounded stomach.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d guess she\u2019s about eight months,\u201d Addie said quietly to Brian, as they sat Ashlynn up and helped her into a loose-fitting hospital gown.<\/p>\n Brian nodded. \u201cThat looks about right to me. Would you go get an ultrasound and a fetal monitor? And tell Justin to come back in as well \u2013 he can start the IV while I examine her.\u201d<\/p>\n Addie nodded and left the room. Justin came back in. \u201cYou need an IV, Dr. Littrell?\u201d he asked hopefully.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d replied Brian, \u201cif you\u2019re comfortable.\u201d He gave Justin a meaningful look, but Justin nodded quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cI can do it,\u201d he said, \u201cI\u2019ve been practicing.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian nodded and let Justin set to work while he guided Ashlynn\u2019s feet into the stirrups at the edge of the bed. \u201cAshlynn, I need you to put your knees up and spread your legs apart so I can examine you,\u201d he instructed his patient. \u201cGood. Mr. Timberlake, how\u2019s it coming?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm\u2026 fine,\u201d replied the student, though his voice was missing the confidence it had held a minute earlier. \u201cJust looking for a good vein\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, does he even know what he\u2019s doing?\u201d Ashlynn demanded.<\/p>\n Brian rose from his stool to look up over her knees. \u201cMr. Timberlake is one of our finest medical students,\u201d he assured her, hoping Justin was not going to mess this up.<\/p>\n \u201cGot the equipment,\u201d a voice announced. Brian turned to see Addie wheeling an ultrasound machine and a fetal heart monitor into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat,\u201d Brian said with relief. \u201cGet those set up and then help Mr. Timberlake if he needs it. I\u2019m going to go get another nurse in here to help. She\u2019s only six centimeters dilated so far, so we have some breathing room.\u201d<\/p>\n Addie nodded, and Brian hurried out of the room. The first nurse he ran into was Natalie Spade, so he brought her back with him. \u201cNatalie, I need you to take a quick history and then order a CBC, lytes, chem panel, urine dip, and a tox screen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d replied Natalie, scribbling down the orders on a fresh chart, and coming up to the head of the bed. \u201cCan I get your full name and age please, honey?\u201d she asked the patient.<\/p>\n \u201cAshlynn Bryarson,\u201d mumbled the young woman. \u201cI\u2019m nineteen.\u201d<\/p>\n Nineteen and pregnant<\/em>, Brian thought sadly, shaking his head as he looked upon the girl, who was glaring belligerently at Justin as he bumbled with the IV, the tip of his tongue sticking between his teeth in concentration.<\/p>\n \u201cShoot, I missed the vein again,\u201d the med student sighed. \u201cLemme try again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo!\u201d snapped Ashlynn, roughly pulling her arm away. \u201cI want someone who fucking knows what they\u2019re doing!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAddie,\u201d Brian said quietly, \u201cwill you start the IV?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can do it!\u201d Justin insisted, but Addie abandoned the ultrasound and came around to the other side of the bed. Moving Justin aside, she sat down and expertly threaded the IV into a vein in the crook of Ashlynn\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Brian took over running the ultrasound. He was concerned about Ashlynn\u2019s baby \u2013 now that her water had broken, there was nothing they could do to stop her labor. The baby would be approximately five weeks premature. Studying the screen of the ultrasound carefully, he watched the black and white shapes, trying to make out the baby and estimate its size. He waited for movement on the screen, which would help him to identify the baby\u2019s position. But all was still.<\/p>\n Frowning, he moved the transducer lower on Ashlynn\u2019s abdomen and tried again. Still, there was no sign of motion on the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cAddie?\u201d he asked quietly. Addie, who had been charting Ashlynn\u2019s vital signs, looked up from her clipboard. \u201cI\u2019m, uh\u2026 I think I\u2019m having trouble finding the baby. Can you try?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Addie replied with a smile, taking the transducer from him and moving it around, staring intently at the screen. \u201cI think that\u2019s it right there,\u201d she said, pointing out a shape Brian had noticed earlier. \u201cBut I don\u2019t\u2026\u201d She lowered her voice and leaned closer to Brian to finish her sentence. \u201cI don\u2019t see any movement.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian bit his lip, fearing the worst. \u201cLet\u2019s, uh\u2026 let\u2019s get her on the fetal monitor. See if we can get anything from that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to go order her tests now,\u201d spoke up Natalie, walking past Brian. \u201cDo you want me to page OB?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Brian answered quickly. \u201cYes, get one of the OB residents down here.\u201d<\/p>\n Natalie nodded and left the room. Meanwhile, Justin came up behind Addie. \u201cIs there a problem?\u201d he asked, staring over her shoulder at the ultrasound monitor.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d cried Ashlynn, struggling to sit up. \u201cWhat\u2019s the problem?\u201d<\/p>\n Brian caught the dagger eyes Addie shot Justin as she pushed past him to get a hold of Ashlynn and ease her back down. \u201cWe need you to lie back and hold still, Ashlynn,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to examine your baby right now.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked back at Brian, who met her with grave eyes. The fetal monitor he\u2019d strapped to Ashlynn\u2019s belly wasn\u2019t registering the baby\u2019s heartbeat. One look at Addie, and he could tell she knew. The look on her face said it all.<\/p>\n \u201cAshlynn,\u201d Brian said gently. \u201cWhen was the last time you felt the baby move around or kick?\u201d<\/p>\n The teenager\u2019s forehead creased as she thought. Finally, she shook her head, looking frustrated. \u201cI dunno,\u201d she spat, \u201cI don\u2019t keep track. Why, what\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n Brian and Addie exchanged glances. Brian came around to one side of Ashlynn\u2019s bed and took her hand. \u201cThe ultrasound did not pick up any movement from the baby,\u201d he said. \u201cThe fetal heart monitor could not find a heartbeat.\u201d He took a deep breath, dreading the next words that were going to leave his mouth, yet knowing he had to say them. \u201cI\u2019m very sorry, Ashlynn,\u201d he continued softly, \u201cbut it looks like your baby has died.\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman\u2019s mouth fell open slightly, and she looked down, taking a few deep breaths. When she looked back up, Brian was surprised to see that her bloodshot eyes were dry. \u201cIt\u2019s my fault, isn\u2019t it?\u201d she muttered flatly.<\/p>\n Brian pursed his lips, wondering how he was supposed to handle this. While he hesitated, Addie spoke. \u201cHave you been taking drugs during your pregnancy, Ashlynn?\u201d she asked quietly. Her tone was not accusatory, but knowing. She knew as well as Brian that this young mother-to-be had been brought into the ER high on something, probably crack or crystal meth, based on her symptoms, and that that was probably what had killed her baby.<\/p>\n Ashlynn stayed silent, refusing to answer. Putting his hand on one of her slumped shoulders, Brian tried a different approach. \u201cThere are a lot of reasons that babies come out stillborn,\u201d he said gently. \u201cWe won\u2019t know for sure what caused it until the baby has been delivered and examined. It could be that the baby had a disorder that caused it to die in the womb, or that its umbilical cord got wrapped around its neck. Or a whole host of other possibilities. We\u2019ll know more once we run some tests and deliver the baby.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashlynn\u2019s eyes narrowed. \u201cI still have to deliver<\/em> it?\u201d she asked incredulously, her voice rising. \u201cWhy?? Can\u2019t you just cut it out of me?!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s much more advisable to go through labor and delivery,\u201d said Addie. \u201cA c-section usually isn\u2019t recommended in a situation like this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2026 but I don\u2019t want to go through labor!\u201d Ashlynn cried, growing hysterical. \u201cI just want it out! Get it out of me!! I WANT IT OUT!\u201d<\/p>\n Isabel Rivera paced back and forth behind the admit desk heaving a sigh. She hadn\u2019t expected to be overwhelmed with patients during a night shift, but she hadn\u2019t expected to be completely without a thing to do. All of this downtime was causing her to grow restless.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you okay?\u201d Joey Fatone asked with a quizzical look.<\/p>\n \u201cI just thought there would be more to do. I\u2019m not used to having absolutely nothing to keep me occupied at work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLearn to love it,\u201d he smiled and looked down at the sports section of the local newspaper. \u201cNight shifts are better when things aren\u2019t crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s just because you\u2019re lazy<\/em>, Isabel thought with a smirk as she leaned against the counter. Sliding her hand into the pocket of her lab coat, she felt something there she hadn\u2019t noticed before. Pulling out a small, folded piece of paper, she tried not to act surprised. She really didn\u2019t want Joey being nosey. Carefully, she opened the paper as quietly as possibly glancing up to make sure he was still engrossed in yesterday\u2019s sports news.<\/p>\n As soon as she caught sight of the sloppy words scrawled across the paper, a smile began to tug at the corners of her mouth. Now, when did he get this into my pocket without me knowing?<\/em><\/p>\n Isabel\u2019s smile grew wider with every word on the page.<\/p>\n Iz,<\/em> Reading over it once more, Isabel folded the paper and slipped it back into her pocket. She and Nick had only been dating for a couple of weeks, but she knew already what a great guy he was. Might have to talk to him about the nickname<\/em>, she thought amusedly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you smiling about?\u201d Joey\u2019s voice broke through her thoughts just as the doors to the ER burst open.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t talk, gotta work,\u201d she grinned in his direction as Dr. Chasez called her over to assist with the patient.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do we have?\u201d JC asked Howie Dorough and AJ McLean as they wheeled in a teenage girl.<\/p>\n \u201cSeventeen-year-old rape victim. BP and heart rate are both normal. Her sister found her and called 911,\u201d Howie answered quickly.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you tell me your name sweetheart?\u201d JC questioned the frightened looking girl once she was inside the exam room.<\/p>\n \u201cManda\u2026 Pouliot,\u201d her voice was soft. Biting her bottom lip, she asked in a quivering voice, \u201cYou-you\u2019re not my doctor are you?\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n JC looked almost taken aback. \u201cYes, sweetheart, I am. Is that okay?\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head no. \u201cI don\u2019t feel comfortable with a male doctor; isn\u2019t there a woman that can help me?\u201d<\/p>\n Sucking in a deep breath, JC gave a short nod and left the exam room, bumping into Bianca on his way out. \u201cOh, great, here ya go,\u201d he said and placed the chart that had been started into Bianca\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d she asked, completely caught off guard.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s your new patient,\u201d he answered without stopping.<\/p>\n Bianca just stared after him for a second, still shocked by his abruptness. \u201cWhat a dick.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLab results are back on the patient in Exam 1, the pregnant girl,\u201d said Natalie, handing Brian a packet of papers.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did the tox screen show?\u201d he asked, glancing over the results of the tests he\u2019d ordered for Ashlynn.<\/p>\n \u201cPositive for cocaine metabolites,\u201d she replied grimly.<\/p>\n Brian sighed and raked a hand through his curly hair. \u201cI knew it. Nineteen-year-old girl, pregnant and smoking crack or snorting coke or whatever she was doing to get her fix. What is wrong with the world? Where are her parents<\/em>; how could they let their daughter do this?\u201d<\/p>\n Natalie shook her head. \u201cWho knows. Maybe they don\u2019t know what she\u2019s doing to herself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot just to herself,\u201d a voice added from behind. Brian turned to see Addie standing there, her features contorted with disgust. \u201cTo her unborn child, too. She killed her baby.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian knew she was probably right, but he smiled crookedly and said, \u201cWe can\u2019t jump to conclusions yet. It could have been something else entirely.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight,\u201d Addie snorted. \u201cAnd now what? Are we supposed to go back in there and comfort her? Because I don\u2019t know if I can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be taken up to maternity soon to deliver,\u201d said Brian. \u201cThey\u2019ll take care of the bulk of that. But we do need to be there for her while she\u2019s down here. If you\u2019re not comfortable-\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Addie interrupted, \u201cit\u2019s fine. I can handle it. I\u2019d better go back in there now to check on her; her contractions are starting to come closer together.\u201d She paused. \u201cYou do realize this baby must have died about two weeks ago, if she\u2019s going into labor on her own at only eight months.\u201d Brian gave a short nod of confirmation \u2013 he had thought of that already. Most mothers of stillborns found out not long after their babies died in the womb, after they realized the baby had not moved in a while, and labor was often induced to deliver the baby. But if not induced, labor would occur naturally approximately two weeks after the death.<\/p>\n Addie scowled. \u201cHow could she not even know<\/em>? H-how could she not feel it?\u201d<\/p>\n Brian shook his head. \u201cShe\u2019s just a kid\u2026 probably got pregnant by accident. And if she was doing drugs during her pregnancy, maybe she just didn\u2019t care enough to notice it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDamn right. She just didn\u2019t care. And yet we\u2019re supposed to care for her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAddie,\u201d Brian said quietly, giving her a meaningful look.<\/p>\n She sighed and looked away. \u201cSorry,\u201d she whispered. \u201cWe\u2019re supposed to care for every patient that comes through these doors, I know. It\u2019s just hard sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know it is,\u201d Brian nodded. \u201cI know. Are you sure you can handle it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Addie said confidently. \u201cI\u2019m going in there now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll come with you,\u201d Brian offered.<\/p>\n Together, they went back to the exam room, where Ashlynn lay curled up in the fetal position, her knees drawn up to her swollen belly. She did not even raise her head to look at them when they came in.<\/p>\n \u201cHow are you feeling, Ashlynn?\u201d Brian asked, sitting down on one side of the bed, facing her.<\/p>\n \u201cLike shit,\u201d she moaned.<\/p>\n Brian took a deep breath. \u201cWe got your test results back,\u201d he said. \u201cWe tested a sample of your urine, and it came back positive for cocaine. I\u2019m sure that\u2019s not a surprise to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ashlynn was silent, burying her face in her pillow.<\/p>\n Brian watched her for a moment, going between feelings of anger, at a woman who had poisoned her unborn child with illegal drugs, and feeling of sympathy, for a girl who had made a mistake and was now facing its consequences, the painful labor and delivery of a dead baby. He hesitated, then put a hand on her shoulder. \u201cSomeone will take you upstairs to maternity sometime in the next half hour,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will all be over soon.\u201d<\/p>\n He gave her shoulder a squeeze and stood up, looking at Addie. \u201cCan you stay with her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d said Addie and took his seat. Brian flashed her a quick smile of gratitude and walked out of the room, expelling a huge sigh as soon as he was out of hearing range.<\/p>\n Addie\u2019s right<\/em>, he thought. It\u2019s definitely hard sometimes.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHi, Manda, I\u2019m Dr. Parker, I\u2019ll be taking over for Dr. Chasez,\u201d Bianca smiled politely as she sat down on a stool beside the bed. Glancing up at her from the chart, she saw that her young face held a slightly panicked expression. \u201cLet\u2019s just get the basics out of the way, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Manda only nodded slightly, wrapping her arms around herself.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you tell me what happened?\u201d Bianca asked and waited patiently for a response.<\/p>\n After a silent moment, Manda shrugged her shoulders. \u201cNothing. My sister just overreacts sometimes. I was bleeding a little after\u2026 you know\u2026 and she walked into the bathroom while I was in there. She just automatically jumped to conclusions, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking down at the chart, Bianca tried not to let Manda see her grim expression. \u201cI know you must be scared right now, Manda, but I can assure you that you\u2019re safe here and you have nothing to worry about by telling me the truth. You don\u2019t have to lie for anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not lying,\u201d she answered defensively. \u201cTom and I used to date and he just gets a little rough sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes he force you to have sex with him?\u201d Bianca\u2019s voice was soothing as she tried to gently get the truth from her young patient. The look in Manda\u2019s scared green eyes said it all, but that wasn\u2019t enough; she had to tell<\/em> her. \u201cI can\u2019t make you tell me anything you don\u2019t want to, and I can\u2019t force you to talk to the police, but this is serious. If you say \u2018no\u2019 even once and he still forces you to go through with it, that is still considered rape.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTom\u2019s not like that\u2026 he loves me,\u201d her voice broke as she spoke.<\/p>\n Placing an assuring hand atop of Manda\u2019s, Bianca spoke quietly, \u201cI know you think he loves you, but if he\u2019s doing these things to you without your permission, it\u2019s wrong. And he has no right to make you do anything you don\u2019t want to. \u201d<\/p>\n Finally, Manda looked up letting her tear filled eyes meet Bianca\u2019s. Without a word, she nodded.<\/p>\n Lips pursed, Bianca nodded also. \u201cThe first thing I need to do is a rape kit. Do you know what that is?\u201d When Manda nodded, Bianca continued, \u201cThen I\u2019d like to do some blood tests. I think you should be tested for various STDs. And have you been sexually active with Tom or anyone else in the last three to six months?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly Tom\u2026 why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause, I think it would be a good idea to be tested for HIV,\u201d Bianca said honestly, and watched as Manda\u2019s face paled. \u201cI\u2019m not trying to scare you, but I think it\u2019s necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n Manda only nodded slightly, her face still pale.<\/p>\n Patting her hand again, Bianca stood up and headed toward the door. \u201cI\u2019ll be back in a few minutes to start the rape kit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsabel,\u201d Bianca stopped in front of the admit desk to sign off on a chart to discharge a patient, \u201cI\u2019ve got a patient who needs a rape kit. Would you mind helping me out in a few minutes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Dr. Parker,\u201d Isabel nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat, thanks,\u201d Bianca smiled and continued on her way.<\/p>\n Things seemed to have died down for a few minutes again and Isabel was once again standing at the admit desk, watching everyone who walked past. Fiddling with the note still folded in her pocket, she smiled again thinking about its contents. Checking her watch, she saw that she still had a few hours before she got a break (if things didn\u2019t get too crazy). For once, she found herself giddy and almost impatient; she couldn\u2019t wait for break time.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, if you keep smiling like that, someone will think you\u2019re up to something,\u201d Joey commented casually.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I guess you\u2019ll have to think I\u2019m up to something,\u201d Isabel only shrugged. Thankfully, Dr. Parker was ready for her to help with the patient in Exam 4.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Isabel,\u201d Bianca said quietly as she placed the \u201cevidence\u201d seals on the rape kit box.<\/p>\n Isabel nodded. \u201cDo you need me to stay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, if you would, please give this to Officer Brooks and let him know that he can speak with Manda in a little while. He should be right outside.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Isabel nodded and took the box Bianca was handing her.<\/p>\n Turning back to Manda, Bianca took a seat on the stool beside the bed. \u201cI know none of this is easy for you, but there is an officer outside\u2026 Officer Brooks\u2026 and he needs to speak with you, okay?\u201d Manda nodded silently and Bianca continued talking quietly, \u201cYour blood tests won\u2019t all come in at the same time so I would suggest you wait until they all come back in. I would say about one to two weeks. I\u2019ll put a note in your chart that you\u2019re to come back here and I\u2019ll personally sit down with you and go over the results. Does that sound okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Manda\u2019s voice was barely audible.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, I\u2019ll be back after Officer Brooks speaks with you and then you\u2019ll be able to go,\u201d she offered a supportive smile and turned to leave the exam room.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Parker?\u201d Manda called suddenly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d her voice quivered slightly and a tear slipped down her cheek.<\/p>\n Bianca smiled sadly and shook her head. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to thank me, sweetie.\u201d<\/p>\n Isabel looked at the clock for the third time in two minutes. She only had fifteen minutes until her break, and she could hardly wait. Glancing towards the doors leading into the ER, she half expected to see Nick, but there was no sign of him. She had almost called him three times to keep him from coming because she knew that he was working a twelve hour shift the next day and he really shouldn\u2019t be wasting valuable sleeping time to come on break with her. Then again, how could she resist when he was giving up the time to be there with her? She grinned. This was something fairly new for her. With a father and sister both in the medical field pressuring her to follow in their footsteps, she never really had time to go out or date, and since she and Nick started dating, everything seemed a little different. In a good way, of course. She couldn\u2019t help but feel giddy just by thinking of him. God, she had missed out on so much.<\/p>\n She smiled and checked the clock again, but this time she was pleased to see that ten minutes had already passed by. Five more minutes!<\/em> she thought giddily.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you still sitting up here grinning like a fool?\u201d Joey laughed as he took his seat behind the desk.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t someone just be happy?\u201d Isabel gave him a pointed glance.<\/p>\n \u201cSure they can!\u201d he replied exuberantly. \u201cBut you look like you just won the lottery or something.\u201d<\/p>\n Slipping from the counter, Isabel only smiled widely and shrugged her shoulders, \u201cMaybe I did.\u201d<\/p>\n Stepping out into the cold night air, she wrapped her coat tightly around her small frame and tried not to shiver. Starting for her car, Isabel\u2019s wide smile grew even wider when she spotted Nick waiting for her.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d he greeted her with a soft kiss. \u201cHow\u2019s your shift going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good, but my night just got a whole lot better,\u201d she leaned in for another kiss. \u201cI was beginning to wonder if you\u2019d changed your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah\u2026just thought that I\u2019d better stay out here. Knowing the way things work, if they saw me in there on my night off, they\u2019d put me to work and still make me work my shift tomorrow,\u201d he said jokingly and opened his car door for her. Hurrying around to the driver\u2019s side, he jumped in and cranked the heat. \u201cSo, any particular place you want to go? I hear they have a great special at Mc Donald\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n Isabel laughed. McDonald\u2019s was just about the only place still open this time of night. \u201cThat sounds great,\u201d she said as Nick made a left turn out of the hospital parking lot. She stared out the window as Nick drove down the deserted streets of Atlantic City. When she felt his hand cover hers, she couldn\u2019t help but start smiling again. Yes, she had missed out on so much!<\/p>\n Elizabeth O\u2019Brien picked up the phone in the lounge and quickly punched a few buttons. Two rings later, a brisk voice answered, \u201cSurgery.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is Dr. O\u2019Brien calling from the ER. I was just wondering if Dr. Richardson was out of surgery yet,\u201d Elizabeth spoke into the phone.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he just finished. Do you need him down for a consult?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019ll come up. Thank you.\u201d Elizabeth hung up the phone and walked over to the counter, where the coffee maker was set up. She filled two styrofoam cups and secured lids over the steaming black liquid.<\/p>\n \u201cNo cream or sugar in that, Dr. B?\u201d a voice behind her asked. Elizabeth turned to find Justin staring up at her from the couch. She hadn\u2019t even noticed him there; he was lying down, his lanky body stretched across the length of the couch, his ankles crossed leisurely.<\/p>\n \u201cI drink it black,\u201d she replied flatly, frowning at the med student\u2019s lazy pose. \u201cAnd it would be Dr. O, not Dr. B\u2026 but I prefer Dr. O\u2019Brien, please.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, right\u2026 O\u2019Brien\u2026 sorry, Dr. O\u2026 Dr. O\u2019Brien,\u201d Justin stumbled awkwardly. \u201cMy bad.\u201d He offered her a sheepish smile.<\/p>\n Elizabeth rolled her eyes as she carried her coffee out of the lounge. I better never hear him saying that to a patient,<\/em> she thought, as she headed for the stairs, scoffing. \u2018My bad\u2019\u2026 ugh.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201c\u2026and I don\u2019t know if you noticed or not, but that guy\u2019s nostrils\u2026 they were freaking huge<\/em>!\u201d Hayley Aldworth enunciated under her breath, her widened green eyes flashing.<\/p>\n Kevin smirked. \u201cAnd why would I notice that? I was a little preoccupied with repairing the hernia in his belly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, take it from me, they were huge. I couldn\u2019t help but notice when I was getting him prepped\u2026 I mean, jeez, you could fit a whole kindergarten class in one of those things! They were bigger than Brian\u2019s!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery professional, Hay,\u201d Kevin said, rolling his eyes good-naturedly at her. \u201cAnd how come you always give my cousin a hard time?\u201d<\/p>\n Hayley shrugged. \u201cCause he has big nostrils?\u201d<\/p>\n Kevin shook his head. \u201cYou\u2019re hopeless. And way too picky.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not picky! I never said there was anything wrong<\/em> with big nostrils; I was just making an observation,\u201d Hayley stated innocently. \u201cBesides, maybe I find cavernous nostrils sexy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCavernous,\u201d Kevin snorted. \u201cYou\u2019re a riot, Hay. I\u2019m gonna tell Brian you said that, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, cavernous nostrils?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, that you find them sexy,\u201d he replied with a grin.<\/p>\n She snickered. \u201cDon\u2019t you dare\u2026 Ivory would punch my face in, like she did to that poor kid\u2019s dad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEh, you could take her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDamn right I could,\u201d said Hayley, ripping off her surgical cap and shaking out her short red hair. \u201cI\u2019d kick her ass.\u201d<\/p>\n Kevin laughed again. \u201cSo I guess I better not tell Liz that you find my eyebrows sexy too?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThose things?\u201d Hayley asked skeptically, lifting her own eyebrows as her eyes shot up to his. \u201cThey\u2019re like caterpillars!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSexy caterpillars though\u2026 right?\u201d Kevin joked, wiggling them suggestively.<\/p>\n Hayley snorted and patted him twice on the arm, hard. \u201cIn your dreams, pal,\u201d she said sardonically, and winked.<\/p>\n Elizabeth approached the nurses station on the surgical floor, prepared to ask if anyone had seen her boyfriend. But even before she could attract the attention of Mandie Smith, who was bent over some paperwork, writing furiously, she heard his voice. She passed the nurses station and continued in the direction of the familiar sound. Rounding the corner, she found him.<\/p>\n Kevin was standing halfway down the hall with Hayley Aldworth, who said something to him before pulling off her surgical cap and tossing her head, sending her hair flopping in all directions. Elizabeth frowned and tightened her grip on the coffee cup in each hand, fighting the compulsion to smooth down her own mane of frizzy brown hair, which she\u2019d pulled back into a short ponytail at the nape of her neck. She watched as Kevin, oblivious to her presence, started laughing at whatever Hayley had said. Must have been a good one<\/em>, she thought. She never saw him laugh that way unless he was watching South Park<\/em>, a guilty pleasure of his which she despised.<\/p>\n Her frown grew as Hayley reached out and patted Kevin on the arm, then said something and winked. Shaking her head, Elizabeth started towards them, walking briskly so that the short heels of her shoes clacked against the tiled floor, making her presence known.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, speaking of Liz,\u201d Hayley said as she approached, shooting Elizabeth a smile. \u201cHey. How\u2019s it going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d Elizabeth greeted Hayley coolly, barely looking at her before shifting her eyes to Kevin, who gave her a baffled smile.<\/p>\n \u201cHi\u2026 what\u2019s up?\u201d he asked uncertainly. \u201cYou look pissed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo I?\u201d Elizabeth\u2019s reply was curt. She didn\u2019t break her stare, but out of the corner of her eye, she could see Hayley looking between her and Kevin.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Kev, I\u2019m gonna go grab something from the vending machines. Want anything?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo thanks, Hay, I\u2019m good,\u201d replied Kevin and cocked his head at Elizabeth as Hayley walked away. \u201cLiz? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI brought you coffee,\u201d said Elizabeth, thrusting one of the cups forward for him to take.<\/p>\n He accepted it warily. \u201cI appreciate it, thanks.\u201d He lifted the warm cup to his lips and then paused. \u201cIt\u2019s not poisoned, is it?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n Elizabeth was momentarily confused. \u201cWhat do you mean, poisoned?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, the way you\u2019re looking at me right now, it\u2019s a reasonable suspicion,\u201d Kevin defended, his eyebrows furrowing. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong? Did I do something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think you know,\u201d Elizabeth said flatly. \u201cOr maybe you didn\u2019t realize I stood here and watched you flirt with Hayley for at least two minutes before you even noticed me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Flirt with Hayley??\u201d Kevin repeated, incredulous. \u201cFor Christ\u2019s sake, Elizabeth, we were just talking. Talking<\/em>\u2026 like normal people do; like friends<\/em> do. Why are you so determined to make something out of nothing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt sure didn\u2019t look like \u2018nothing,\u2019 Kevin. I saw the way you were looking at her and the way she touched you; I was only a few feet away.\u201d<\/p>\n Kevin shook his head in exasperation. \u201cI am not<\/em> going to stand here and discuss this with you. You\u2019re crazy if that\u2019s what you honestly think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, sure, insult me. That\u2019ll make the situation so much better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat situation<\/em>? There is no situation<\/em>, Liz; you\u2019re just blowing everything out of proportion. Hayley and I had just gotten out of the OR; we were discussing our patient; that\u2019s all<\/em>.\u201d Elizabeth remained silent, staring at him with eyes as hard as she could make them, eyes that could penetrate into his very soul and make him at least feel guilty. Whether it was working or not, she did not know, for after a moment of silence, he said, \u201cFine. I\u2019m taking my break now while I can get one. Go back to work, Liz.\u201d<\/p>\n He blew past her, striding off in the direction Hayley had gone. Elizabeth was left standing alone in the hall, her coffee beginning to cool in the cup she still clutched in her hand. Swallowing hard, she turned and stalked back towards the stairs, dumping her full coffee cup in the trash on her way.<\/p>\n Bianca came out of the staff lounge and looked around the emergency room. There had been a few times during the night that had been quite active, but now was definitely not one of those times. There were only a few patients in the waiting room waiting to be called back and there were fewer people actually waiting to be examined by a doctor. Walking up to the desk she saw most of the female nurses were standing around talking. She stopped beside Addie Burke and looked at the group of grinning women. \u201cAnything interesting going on that I should know about?\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cNot really,\u201d one of the other nurses said as she casually handed a chart to Bianca. \u201cI think this patient has been here for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Bianca took the chart without masking her suspicious expression. Shrugging it off, she headed for exam two glancing over the chart as she entered the room. \u201cHi, Mr. Bainbridge, I\u2019m Dr. Parker.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease, call me Aaron,\u201d he said politely.<\/p>\n \u201cAaron,\u201d she smiled but kept her eyes on the chart in her hands. Finally she looked up and knew why the nurses had all been grouped outside talking. This man was gorgeous. He had curly dark brown hair and dark eyes and was nicely tanned. He looked like he stepped right out of an Abercrombie ad except for the fact that he was propped up on a hospital bed. Regaining her professional attitude, Bianca began speaking again, \u201cI see you were injured earlier tonight in a lacrosse match.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d he smiled sheepishly. \u201cI, uh, don\u2019t really remember what happened. All I know is one minute I was in the game and the next thing I knew I woke up on the sidelines and the whole team was standing around me.\u201d<\/p>\n Bianca nodded and made a note on the chart. \u201cHave you been experiencing any dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea or vomiting?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t at first, but I did start feeling a little dizzy after I got back home. I also have a headache now, but nothing else.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt sounds like you might have a concussion, Aaron,\u201d she said, stepping beside the bed. She motioned for him to sit forward and then began checking his heart and breath sounds. After the standard procedure, she stepped back making another note on the chart. \u201cI\u2019d like for you to have a CT Scan just to be sure, but I\u2019m fairly positive it\u2019s a concussion. I\u2019ll be back in just a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTake your time,\u201d he said sweetly.<\/p>\n Stepping out of the room Bianca couldn\u2019t help but laugh when she saw the group of women had still not broken up. She joined them once again and they all seemed to be waiting to hear what she had to say. \u201cYou girls might need a bucket after a while\u2026 I\u2019m starting to see some drool.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, come on Bianca,\u201d Addie started, \u201cyou know he\u2019s gorgeous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGorgeous is an understatement,\u201d Natalie Spade interrupted. \u201cHe\u2019s only built like a Greek god and the best part is that he doesn\u2019t seem to know it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder if he\u2019s single,\u201d someone mentioned casually.<\/p>\n Bianca only laughed in reply because she wasn\u2019t about to admit aloud that she had noticed all of those features as well as the fact that he didn\u2019t seem to be wearing a ring on that special finger. Hey, a girl couldn\u2019t help but appreciate the male form sometimes. Besides, it\u2019s not like they were lucky enough to have someone that good looking come in every day. \u201cOkay, girls, I think it\u2019s time we end our break and get back to work.\u201d<\/p>\n They all groaned good naturedly and everyone except Addie began to disperse.<\/p>\n Bianca looked at Addie and laughed as she leaned against the counter.<\/p>\n \u201cNow if every night shift had someone like him, I\u2019d happily work it all the time. And it\u2019s times like these that I really envy you.\u201d<\/p>\n Bianca laughed aloud this time, \u201cAnd why is that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I have to explain,\u201d she offered a devilish grin.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would our loyal men think, Addie?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, it\u2019s okay to window shop. As long as we don\u2019t sample the product all is well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood point,\u201d Bianca nodded and they both laughed.<\/p>\n Whistling \u201cIce, Ice Baby\u201d to himself, Justin Timberlake strolled up the hall, a patient chart in one of his swinging hands. Ahead of him, he noticed Dr. Parker and Addie Burke leaning against a wall, giggling together like a couple of teenage girls. \u201cWhat\u2019s so funny?\u201d he asked, smirking in amusement as he stopped before them.<\/p>\n The two women stopped laughing instantly and looked at him as if he were some kind of household pest. Wondering why doctors and nurses seemed to hate med students so much, Justin muttered, \u201cSorry,\u201d and passed them quickly. He dropped his chart into a bin at the admit desk just as the Emergency Room doors banged open. Looking up, Justin saw three EMTs barreling towards him with a gurney. Before he even had time to react, he heard his name barked out by Dr. O\u2019Brien, who motioned for him to follow as she jogged past him to meet the paramedics.<\/p>\n \u201cWoman in her late twenties, early thirties, shot in the upper left quadrant during a carjacking,\u201d said Kylie McCartney and fired off the patient\u2019s vitals as she helped guide the gurney down the hallway.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s take her to Trauma 1,\u201d Dr. O\u2019Brien directed promptly.<\/p>\n Inside the trauma room, they transferred the woman onto the table, and the paramedics were replaced by nurses, who immediately started hooking her up to monitors, reading off vitals, threading IVs\u2026 each person had his or her own task, and it never failed to impress Justin how quickly and efficiently they all did what needed to be done. He watched them work for a moment before turning his attention to the patient in front of him.<\/p>\n The woman was still conscious, though her skin was pale and clammy, her breathing erratic. Her bright red hair, damp with perspiration, was matted to her sweaty forehead. \u201cShe\u2019s diaphoretic,\u201d he observed out loud and snatched his penlight from his lab coat pocket. \u201cMa\u2019am, can you follow this light with your eyes, please?\u201d he asked, leaning over her. He shined the penlight into her green eyes and watched them carefully as he moved the light from side to side. \u201cPupils equal and reactive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Justin. Why don\u2019t you move down here and take a look at her injury,\u201d said Dr. O\u2019Brien, trading places with Justin as she moved to the head of the table. \u201cMa\u2019am, I\u2019m Dr. O\u2019Brien. Can you tell me your name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy last name\u2019s\u2026 O\u2019Brian\u2026 too,\u201d the woman panted, clearly in pain. \u201cWillow\u2026 Willow O\u2019Brian. S-someone attacked me\u2026 stole my car… i-it was brand new\u2026 I s-saved forever<\/em> for it. I-I didn\u2019t want to\u2026 let him take it… so he\u2026 he shot<\/em> me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to take good care of you, Ms. O\u2019Brian,\u201d said Dr. O\u2019Brien, patting Willow\u2019s shoulder. \u201cMr. Timberlake, what can you tell us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026 looks like there\u2019s an entrance wound in the left upper quadrant,\u201d Justin said, staring at the bloody bullet hole in the woman\u2019s stomach. \u201cWe should roll her to check for an exit wound.\u201d<\/p>\n They did and saw that her back was unmarred. \u201cThe bullet must still be inside. Mr. Timberlake, what next?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSurgical consult. And in the meantime, an ultrasound?\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. O\u2019Brien nodded. \u201cSounds like a plan. Call surgery, and Natalie, would you get the ultrasound set up?\u201d As Justin hurried to the phone and dialed the extension for surgery, Dr. O\u2019Brien turned back to Willow. \u201cIs there anyone you\u2019d like us to call, Ms. O\u2019Brian?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cMy sister\u2026 Myrtle. 555\u2026 8733. And you can\u2026 call me\u2026 Willow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll call your sister right away, Willow. Addie, would you take care of that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d replied Addie Burke and ducked out of the room. She was met in the hall by Kylie, who stood with Harry and Allison while they sipped coffee.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s she doing?\u201d Kylie asked, nodding towards the trauma room.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re still assessing the injury and trying to get her stabilized,\u201d replied Addie. \u201cI need to call her sister; I\u2019ll be right back.\u201d She went to the desk and dialed the number Willow had given her. She left a brief message on Myrtle O\u2019Brian\u2019s voicemail and hung up, stopping to talk to Kylie on her way back into the trauma.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is the pregnant girl we brought in earlier?\u201d asked Kylie. \u201cDo you know if she\u2019s delivered yet?\u201d<\/p>\n Addie sighed. \u201cI haven\u2019t heard if she\u2019s delivered or not, but\u2026 it\u2019s a stillborn.\u201d<\/p>\n Kylie\u2019s shoulders slumped, a saddened look dulling her features. \u201cHow horrible\u2026\u201d Addie noticed her hand move to her stomach. At only three months, Kylie hadn\u2019t begun to show yet, but it was hard to forget she was pregnant. Addie knew how excited her best friend was about the pregnancy; Kylie talked about it all the time. She was going to be such a great mother\u2026 not at all like Ashlynn Bryarson upstairs.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t judge<\/em>, Addie warned herself internally, remembering her conversation with Brian earlier. \u201cShe tested positive for cocaine\u2026 I\u2019m sure that\u2019s what caused it,\u201d Addie told Kylie.<\/p>\n Kylie shook her head. \u201cI don\u2019t understand how women can do that to their unborn children\u2026 It\u2019s terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Addie nodded solemnly. \u201cWell, I need to get back into the trauma\u2026 I\u2019ll catch you later, Ky.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right. Bye, Addie.\u201d<\/p>\n Giving a wave to Allison and Harry as they downed the rest of their coffee and got ready to head out again, Addie went back into Trauma 1. \u201cWillow, I left a message for Myrtle; she should be coming as soon as she gets it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood news,\u201d Bianca entered the exam room with a smile, \u201ceverything looks good on your scan, Aaron. I\u2019m still concerned by the fact that you lost consciousness because that indicates a more serious concussion, but everything appears normal. Are you feeling okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I feel fine,\u201d he nodded and returned her smile.<\/p>\n Bianca nodded and made a note on his chart. \u201cI really don\u2019t see the point in admitting you overnight, but if your symptoms return, you should come back immediately. I would suggest getting some Tylenol in case you need a pain reliever. You may also want to schedule a follow up with your primary physician some time next week just to be on the safe side.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I also think you should take it easy for a couple of weeks. I don\u2019t think it would be a good idea to jump right back into sports; I think two weeks will be sufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n He sighed forlornly. \u201cI was afraid you would say that.\u201d<\/p>\n Bianca smiled sympathetically and slipped her hands into the pockets on her lab coat. \u201cI know how men and sports work, but if you go right back to playing, you are putting yourself at risk for serious injury. Something more serious than what you experienced tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand,\u201d he offered a megawatt smile.<\/p>\n \u201cGood. You\u2019re all done here, Aaron. I\u2019ll send in a nurse with your discharge papers shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMelissa, could you please take these discharge papers to Mr. Bainbridge? He\u2019s all set to go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d Melissa Ruffino said with a grin and headed toward the exam room. She tapped lightly on the door out of habit before entering, \u201cMr. Bainbridge?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease, call me Aaron,\u201d he answered as he slid from the edge of the hospital bed. \u201cI guess this means that I\u2019m finally free?\u201d<\/p>\n Melissa laughed. \u201cYes. Dr. Parker wanted me to remind you about her suggestion to follow up with your primary physician sometime in the coming week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cConsider it done.\u201d<\/p>\n Melissa felt herself smile. For some reason she felt her cheeks begin to warm and she suddenly felt awkward. \u201cWell, you have a nice night, Mr. Bainbridge.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm,\u201d he craned his neck so he could read her nametag, \u201d\u2026Melissa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know this might be a little forward of me, but I was wondering if I could get your number and give you a call? I thought it might be nice to meet over coffee sometime?\u201d<\/p>\n She felt her cheeks flush once more and gently bit her lip to keep from grinning like a complete idiot. \u201cI, uh, I think that would be nice,\u201d she said and pulled a small slip of paper from her pocket and quickly jotted down her cell phone number. Sure, she was dating Joey, but he was being such an ass lately. It seemed like he was always flirting openly with Mariah Johnson with no regard for how it might make her feel. It was nice to have someone flirting with her for a change, especially someone like Aaron.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat,\u201d the smile never left his face. \u201cI\u2019ll give you a call, Melissa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d she smiled as well. Leaving the exam room, she made a beeline for the nurses\u2019 station. The group that had been there earlier had come back between patients and she was excited to spill the gossip.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you grinning about?\u201d Natalie Spade questioned as soon as Melissa joined the group of women.<\/p>\n She just stood there for a few minutes, smiling broadly but not offering an explanation. Glancing around, she noticed Joey was sitting at the reception desk staring at the group of women with a questioning expression on his face. \u201cWell\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell what?\u201d someone asked quickly.<\/p>\n Melissa giggled. \u201cGuess who just asked for my number?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Lacrosse Hottie?\u201d Natalie gasped.<\/p>\n She nodded excitedly and saw Joey from the corner of her eye; he was trying desperately to hear what all the sudden giggling was about.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you give it to him?\u201d Addie asked.<\/p>\n She nodded again. \u201cHe said he thought it would be nice to get coffee. And you know how I love coffee\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone laughed. \u201cWell, girl, you got it!\u201d Melissa joined in with everyone\u2019s laughter and enjoyed the satisfaction she got from seeing the look on Joey\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cDid someone call for a surgical consult here?\u201d asked Kevin as he burst through the doors of Trauma 1. He instantly spotted Elizabeth working on the patient and swallowed hard, remembering the harsh words they\u2019d exchanged not two hours earlier. Forcing his professionalism to overpower his personal feelings, he strode across the room anyway and listened while the med student, Justin, filled him in on the patient\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n \u201cHer blood pressure\u2019s low, and the ultrasound shows a lot of blood in belly. We think the bullet has damaged her spleen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be lucky if that\u2019s all it damaged,\u201d said Kevin, \u201cbut either way, she\u2019ll need surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSurgery?\u201d Willow O\u2019Brian\u2019s voice rose weakly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, ma\u2019am. I\u2019m afraid you\u2019re bleeding internally, and we\u2019ll need to operate to fix the damage caused by the bullet. Right now it appears that-\u201c But Kevin\u2019s voice was drowned out by a high-pitched beeping coming from one of the monitors.<\/p>\n \u201cPressure\u2019s dropping fast!\u201d Natalie Spade called out.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s tachycardic and unresponsive; pulse is weak,\u201d another nurse added.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, Willow, stay with us,\u201d urged Elizabeth. \u201cAddie, let\u2019s run in another unit of O-neg. We need to get her pressure back up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe needs surgery immediately,\u201d spoke up Kevin.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you don\u2019t expect us to send her upstairs when she\u2019s on the verge of arresting, do you?\u201d Elizabeth responded sharply. \u201cI\u2019m not handing my patient over to you until we have her stabilized.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t expect you to,\u201d said Kevin with a frown. \u201cI was just saying\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I think we\u2019ve established that she needs surgery, Dr. Richardson.\u201d Elizabeth\u2019s voice was curt. \u201cJustin, do you see a crash cart anywhere around here? We should have one handy in case she starts to arrest.\u201d<\/p>\n The curly-haired med student looked around the trauma room wildly. \u201cUm, I don\u2019t see one, Dr. O\u2019Brien,\u201d he replied nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cGo find one then,\u201d ordered Elizabeth. Without hesitation, Justin darted out of the room. The rest of them waited anxiously while Addie hooked up a fresh bag of blood to run into Willow\u2019s IV. \u201cVitals?\u201d Elizabeth snapped after a few minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cPressure\u2019s starting to come up,\u201d replied Natalie.<\/p>\n \u201cGood. Let\u2019s get the rest of this blood into her and then, Dr. Richardson, you will hopefully be able to take her up for surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent; thank you, Dr. O\u2019Brien,\u201d Kevin replied with the same stiff cordialness, staring evenly at Elizabeth.<\/p>\n She immediately looked away. Turning to Natalie instead, she asked crossly, \u201cWhere the hell did Justin disappear to?\u201d<\/p>\n Justin charged up the hallway, wheeling the crash cart in front of him as fast as he could. The bulky cart was awkward, and as it hit a piece of chipped tile, it skidded away from him, causing him to stumble forward and nearly fall flat on his face. Regaining his balance, he straightened and cast a nervous look around him, expecting to be laughed at by someone who had seen him almost fall. Luckily, no one seemed to be paying any attention. No one, that is, except a familiar-looking woman who was hurrying toward him.<\/p>\n Narrowing his eyes as the women approached, he gasped out loud. Bright red hair, green eyes, porcelain skin\u2026 \u201cY-you!\u201d he cried breathlessly, pointing in shock. It was the very same woman he\u2019d just been treating. But Willow O\u2019Brien was lying on a table in Trauma 1 with a gunshot wound to her stomach. It couldn\u2019t be\u2026 unless\u2026? In that instant, a million crazy thoughts rushed through Justin\u2019s mind \u2013 he was witnessing a real-life out of body experience\u2026 In the few minutes he had been gone, searching for a crash cart, Willow had died or was about to die in the trauma room, and this was her spirit, her ghost\u2026<\/p>\n His patient\u2019s ghost narrowed her green eyes at him and tipped her head to the side, studying him for a moment. Then she shook her head and said, \u201cExcuse me, maybe you can help me. I\u2019m looking for my sister, Willow O\u2019Brien. I got a voicemail saying she\u2019d been brought here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cS-sister?\u201d Justin stammered, blinking a few times.<\/p>\n \u201cYes\u2026\u201d The ghost\u2026 or sister, whoever she was, gave him that look again, like she thought he belonged in the psych ward wearing a straight jacket rather than in the ER with a lab coat on. \u201cMy twin sister\u2026 Willow O\u2019Brien? If you could just point me in the right direction to get some information about her\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOhh\u2026 your twin<\/em>. You\u2019re Willow\u2019s sister\u2026 Myrtle, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n A brief smile crossed the woman\u2019s face. \u201cYes. So you\u2019ve seen my sister?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, yeah, I\u2019ve been working on her,\u201d Justin replied quickly, then looked down at the crash cart he had his hand on. \u201cUh\u2026 actually, they\u2019re still working on her, so, um\u2026 why don\u2019t you take a seat here, and someone will be back to talk to you in a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Thank you.\u201d Myrtle sat down in the nearest chair, and Justin took off again, pushing the crash cart back to Trauma 1. By the time he got there, he was relieved to find that Willow was stabilizing; there was no need for the crash cart after all.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat took you so long?\u201d Dr. O\u2019Brien demanded, looking annoyed with him as usual.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry. I ran into Willow\u2019s sister Myrtle in the hall; she\u2019s here,\u201d replied Justin.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll go talk to her. Dr. Richardson, do you think you can handle it from here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think I can manage it, Dr. O\u2019Brien,\u201d replied Dr. Richardson.<\/p>\n \u201cWonderful.\u201d Dr. O\u2019Brien left the room quickly, letting the doors bang shut behind her.<\/p>\n Justin frowned in confusion as he watched her leave. Aren\u2019t they dating?<\/em><\/p>\n The sun was just beginning to come up as Addie wearily pushed through the doors of the maternity ward. She stopped at the desk just inside and was greeted by a receptionist who looked just as tired as Addie felt. \u201cCan I help you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019m looking for Ashlynn Bryarson, please.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoom 526.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you.\u201d Addie made her way slowly down the hall, reading the numbers on the doors as she passed. 518\u2026 520\u2026<\/em> She rounded a corner and was surprised to find a familiar figure walking towards her. \u201cBrian?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMornin\u2019, Addie,\u201d Brian greeted her with a tired smile. \u201cDidn\u2019t expect to see you up here.\u201d<\/p>\n Addie shrugged. \u201cI thought I\u2019d check on Ashlynn before I left, see how she\u2019s doing. Didn\u2019t expect to see you here either. Doctors aren\u2019t supposed to care about their patients, didn\u2019t you know? That\u2019s a nurse\u2019s job.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian gave her a wry smile. \u201cGuess I didn\u2019t get that memo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo how is Ashlynn?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout as well as you\u2019d expect, I guess,\u201d answered Brian with a grim shrug. \u201cThey told me she was pretty distraught earlier. She\u2019s been given a sedative though. Hopefully she\u2019ll sleep most of today. She needs it after the night she had.\u201d<\/p>\n Addie pressed her lips together and nodded. \u201cI feel bad for her\u2026 and then again, I don\u2019t. It sounds cruel to say that, but\u2026 she did this to herself, you know? She did this to her baby.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d said Brian. \u201cBut here you are anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Addie sighed. \u201cHere I am. Just doing my job, I guess\u2026 caring for my patient.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian smiled. \u201cYou\u2019re a good nurse, Addie. Go check on her, see for yourself. But don\u2019t stick around here for too long; go home and get some rest \u2013 you probably need it as much as she does.\u201d<\/p>\n As if on cue, Addie yawned, and they both laughed. \u201cGotta love the night shift, huh?\u201d she said with a chuckle.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah,\u201d Brian matched her sarcasm, shaking his head. \u201cThe night shift\u2026 nothing quite like it.\u201d<\/p>\n Addie smiled. \u201cGoodnight, Brian.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian nodded. \u201c\u2019Night, Addie.\u201d He gave her a little wave goodbye, then walked past her, disappearing around the corner.<\/p>\n+++<\/h4>\n
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\nJust wanted to say that I hope you have a good shift and I\u2019ll see you later. You\u2026 me\u2026 break time. Remember that.<\/em>
\nNick<\/em><\/p>\n+++<\/h4>\n
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